Could Bloomberg teach someone to farm?
I've been thinking about Bloomberg's comment that he could teach someone to farm. "You just dig a hole, put the seed in, cover it up, and let the rain do the rest." A friend said he's not talking about modern farming, just ancient farming. While I don't agree, let's go with that: farming without modern technology, without even plows. How easy is it really? Here are my questions for Bloomberg.
- When should you plant that seed?
- How deep should you dig the hole? (Do you even know what type of seed you have?)
- In what type of environment (region, soil type, north/south slope) should you dig the hole?
- When should you harvest it?
- How many of that seed should you plant?
- Should you plant that seed so it's associated with other types of plants, and if so, which ones? Do you even know what milpa farming is?
- How do you keep the critters from eating your plants before you can harvest them?
- What do you do if the rains don't come? Do you starve because you thought you could just let the rain do all the work? Do you know how to build and maintain an effective irrigation system?
- If you figure out how to build an irrigation system, how much water should you let out onto your fields and how often?
If you can't answer all those knowledgeably, then, no, you can't teach anyone how to farm.
Ancient people's didn't farm without technology because they were ignorant and did what was easy and simple for their primitive minds. They were just as clever as us (you think you're smarter? Make a plow from scratch, smartypants!), and had a rich and detailed knowledge that couldn't be taught simply, but was taught to each succeeding generation over many seasons as they grew up. It's a serious education, both in the depth of knowledge and in the importance of learning it well.
Bloomberg only thinks it's easy because he doesn't actually know anything about it. He associates his lack of knowledge with a lack of anything to be learned. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, but isn't aware that there's something to know. It's a classic Dunning-Krueger moment.
That in itself is not reason to vote against Bloomberg (the fact that he's an authoritarian with no compunction about focusing the force of the state on the less fortunate is), but it's just been bugging me. The general hubris of all these candidates bugs me.
when you think those fuckers only use glyphosate, and are on yield game (debt / income) to keep their farms...
irronic you have a bee... do you know dicamba? gmo self producing glypho or neuro toxins?
no, no idea I guess...
fuck off.
Dear @honeybee
Although you touch a political aspect regarding the comment of Could Bloomberg.
I am very sincere in saying that I do not like political issues and, failing that, I try not to comment.
However, I read the entire publication and definitely your questions caught my attention, agriculture is so important or more important that money without agriculture entire populations can suffer a lot of hunger. and I particularly acknowledge the great importance that farmers have in the growth of a country.
I congratulate you because your questions show that you know very well the topic of agriculture.
Have a gread day, Piotr
Well said.